I stumbled on this browsing around youtube and almost had a stroke! A Cass Elliot song I'd never heard before and SOB: it's awesome! It's her version of a Lovin' Spoonful tune. If, like me, you're asking "huh-what?" right now, stop what you're doing and listen to this song:

If you're aware of and know anything about this song: forgive my exuberance and please enlighten us as to why these absolutely incredible anomolies in Cass' catalog keep slipping through the cracks. Is this song available on CD (I haven't seen it listed on any of her discographies, but I'm rushing to double check...)? Wow...one unheard jem from this sweet soul and my day is already better! Thanks to ocnarfeara (whoever you are) for posting it!

enjoyjc

UPDATE:Not a word about it in either the text or discography of Feigel's biography of Cass, which makes me feel a whole lot less dumb for not knowing about this incredible performance!

Midnight Voyager wrote:That song has been circulating for some time now. It's so great! There are actually two takes of it, but they are very similar to each other. Glad you found it!

Thanks MV!

I actually found both versions on amazon and downloaded them. They were on two different rare compilation albums. The second version appears to be the same version with a different mix: Cass providing backup vocals for herself on it. It is as gorgeous as the original version!

I can't believe this hasn't been included on any of Cass' CD reissues. It is a heartfelt and ethereal performance that has skyrocketted itself into the upper-echelon of my favorites of her songs.

It's hard to believe that she recorded this before the Mamas and the Papas. Her voice has such depth and maturity here. I love this song by the Lovin' Spoonful, but Cass' version is the definitive one. If this was indeed recorded for a Spoonful session, is there a possibility that there are more tunes? Is there perhaps an albumful of material just waiting to blow our collective minds?

Here's hoping someone (who am I fooling... Richard, if you please!) can fill in the facts.

The tracks of "Didn't Want To Have To Do It" are Alan Lorber's. He helped produce The Mugwumps tracks. I think if he had more he would have put them out already. His ownership of them rather explains why they haven't been included in other compilations....and they were only known to exist (by others) a few years ago.

This starts to clear things up, but I'm confused about some of the points you made.

It sounds like there may be a great divide between this Alan Lorber (forgive me but I don't know who he is) and the liscencing of his Cass-inclusive material. While searching for these songs on amazon, I noticed that they were only available as mp3 downloads and not on CD. Has he released them on CD in the past? I'm not an audio expert, but I thought that mp3s are compressed and somewhat inferior to CDs.

Thanks for maintaining this site. I've enjoyed and learned a lot here.